Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

[gojackets]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

Have you had any documented Miracles happen on your ice?

well there was this one time...while at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud that this immaculate being came down(i saw the ethereal glow) and assisted Adam Hanna in stopping 41 shots against a dominating UW-Superior team.


I don't really know why that came to mind...haha.

 

[gojackets]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

Wow, I assume that if this has legs, it's a very recent development, if only for the same reasoning I mentioned a year or so ago. Namely, given Bruce Delventhal's involvement with the DIII Ice Hockey Committee, I couldn't see him going ahead with the Stafford changes if he knew he'd be renovating Plattsburgh out of a hosting opportunity down the road. Which is pretty much what'll happen if the Final...Thing That Middlebury Wins a Lot reverts to on-campus sites: Stafford is more than adequate in all other respects, and it's no secret that the NCAA has favored it in the past (see 1998), but the current seating configuration simply no longer allows for the kinds of attendance numbers the NCAA looks for in a host site. If this comes to pass, and there's any indication that Delventhal knew it was coming...he'll have a lot more to justify than his noisemaker policy.

On the other hand, Superior renovated Wessman with the idea of making it up to code to host the Final Four. Shortly after that they went away from the campus hosts.

 

[Dyce]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

On the other hand, Superior renovated Wessman with the idea of making it up to code to host the Final Four. Shortly after that they went away from the campus hosts.

Well, the rink did at least get that facelift, even if it wasn't helpful toward its primary aim And to be fair, the switch to neutrals was a boon to the West on paper: given the proliferation of good Eastern programs with good new barns over the past decade, Wessman's improvements may not have been enough to prevent a run the likes of the six straight Eastern hosts preceding the '07 tourney.

And I think that the West's demonstrating that it can take advantage of the...well, level-er playing field, anyway...remains the key here. Placid would absolutely do a bang-up job hosting every season, but if the West can put on a solid tourney in 2011 *and* - this is the lynchpin - prove that the missteps of previous years are behind them, and finding a host will be a smoother and more reliable process in the future, there's no reason they don't deserve a share of the action. If problems persist, then by all means, make Lake Placid DIII hockey's Omaha/Williamsport/etc; it has more than enough cachet and resources to work admirably in that capacity. Enticing though the prospect might be, however, DIII hockey has two distinct regions, and the other deserves at least the opportunity to provide a stable counterpart to Placid.

 

[PuckVoice]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

We in the East certainly can point to Lake Placid and its history with pride ... but for the tournament to really hit a homerun there they still need the right teams to show up ... Plattsburgh ... Norwich ... Middlebury ... Oswego ... Elmira ... or as many of those as possible. Attendance in 2008 was excellent ... in 2009 it slipped quite a bit.
I'm sure it is the same out west ... if the event at Ritter (Which in the pictures I've seen looks like a great facility) draws the right teams it should work ... if not who knows.
I was at Aldrich back in the early 90's ... to me that seemed like a success ...
Question for you Westerners ... what team do you need to be there at Ritter to make it a success in 2011?

 

[one_to7]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

We in the East certainly can point to Lake Placid and its history with pride ... but for the tournament to really hit a homerun there they still need the right teams to show up ... Plattsburgh ... Norwich ... Middlebury ... Oswego ... Elmira ... or as many of those as possible. Attendance in 2008 was excellent ... in 2009 it slipped quite a bit.
I'm sure it is the same out west ... if the event at Ritter (Which in the pictures I've seen looks like a great facility) draws the right teams it should work ... if not who knows.
I was at Aldrich back in the early 90's ... to me that seemed like a success ...
Question for you Westerners ... what team do you need to be there at Ritter to make it a success in 2011?

Most of the MIAC schools have pretty small enrollments, which makes for not the largest crowds on hand. Pretty much any of them making the event would bring all of their fans out, but that might only be 500-1000 of them.

River Falls is the nearest NCHA school and has had good attendance for every game I've been to there, so for 'success = attendance' for the Ritter, the falcons would be nice.

Personally I think you can have a 'success' without filling the place, if you get 4 teams that play good games. The NCAA might not agree, but then again, I don't think the point of this event is to make as much money as possible.

 

[BlueDevilRadio]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

Most of the MIAC schools have pretty small enrollments, which makes for not the largest crowds on hand. Pretty much any of them making the event would bring all of their fans out, but that might only be 500-1000 of them.

River Falls is the nearest NCHA school and has had good attendance for every game I've been to there, so for 'success = attendance' for the Ritter, the falcons would be nice.

Personally I think you can have a 'success' without filling the place, if you get 4 teams that play good games. The NCAA might not agree, but then again, I don't think the point of this event is to make as much money as possible.

I think any team in the NCHA would be fine for attendance. There is a big difference between driving three hours versus driving 20 hours (or flying). Unless your a Devils' Advocate and you travel 3200 miles (one way) after you've arrived at your spring break destination and say sc*&w this opting to see your team play in Lake Placid, NY. instead. UW-River Falls, UW-Stout, UW-Superior, St. Scholastica all seem to travel well and would do just fine for attendance.

A MIAC team would not be a good draw for fan attendance as already stated, just not enough fan base and enrollment there to really get a big crowd.

I do think if properly advertised many hockey fans would show. I wouldn't care if UW-Stout didn't make it; I would certainly be there because good hockey is good hockey. I think many in this part of the country feel the same. Many "Minnesotaians" are pure hockey fans not sworn only to one particular team. They just love hockey in a way in which I've yet to see anywhere else outside of Canada.

On the money front... It's always about money. This world revolves around it, including the NCAA.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

We in the East certainly can point to Lake Placid and its history with pride ... but for the tournament to really hit a homerun there they still need the right teams to show up ... Plattsburgh ... Norwich ... Middlebury ... Oswego ... Elmira ... or as many of those as possible. Attendance in 2008 was excellent ... in 2009 it slipped quite a bit.
I'm sure it is the same out west ... if the event at Ritter (Which in the pictures I've seen looks like a great facility) draws the right teams it should work ... if not who knows.
I was at Aldrich back in the early 90's ... to me that seemed like a success ...
Question for you Westerners ... what team do you need to be there at Ritter to make it a success in 2011?

It's Ridder.

Ritter is RIT's rink.

Had Plattsburgh and Elmira made it to the finals at Aldrich, you would have been able to hear a pin drop... It was packed because two Western teams made it to the finals.

 

[RonT]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

Wasn't the '93? tourney held there in a neutral rink? (and quickly reverted back to campus sites)

Longest bus ride I've ever been on.

 

[Derek Dunning]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

Longest bus ride I've ever been on.

From the stories I've heard about those booster club bus rides I'm sure you guys managed to entertain yourselves quite well

 

[spwood]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

I wasn't on the trip (being a student in Pennsylvania), but my sister went and I believe the Plattsburgh fan bus broke down somewhere in Canada....

 

[ECfann]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

Don't forget Elmira hosted an amazing Final Four a few years back at the location home of the "Elmira Jackals"...ECHL League.
That facility in Elmira is new,top of the line, and had a great draw as well. EC fan or not, I would love to see the finals get back in there with the mix of these facilities mentioned.

 

[cetihcra]

Re: Frozen Four(or whatever it is called) moving back to campus sites?

It's Ridder.

Ritter is RIT's rink.

Had Plattsburgh and Elmira made it to the finals at Aldrich, you would have been able to hear a pin drop... It was packed because two Western teams made it to the finals.

I hope the NCAA is smart about next year's F4, and schedules it around the WCHA F5. It'd be nice to market to, and attract some of the W fans to the D3 tourney.

I'm planning on attending regardless, hopefully both events.

r